PREHISTORIC ART

MODULE 5: ART APPRECIATION

PREHISTORIC ART

GLIMPSE OF ART
HISTORY

ART SHOWS THE BEAUTY OF THE PAST AS

HISTORY TELLS US THE STORY OF EARLIER
TIMES. LEARNING ABOUT PREHISTORIC ART IS
LIKE TRAVELLING THOUSANDS OF YEARS BACK
AND GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN
HOW ART WAS UTILIZED BY OUR ANCESTORS,
HOW THEY VALUED IT AND HOW THIS
DEPICTED THEIR DAILY LIVES.

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 Q&A
PREHISTORIC ART

1. What artworks are found in the different places in

the world?
2. What are the main characteristics of these artworks?
3. Which of these places would you like to visit? Why?

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 PREHISTORIC ARTS
FROM THE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE WORLD
PREHISTORIC ART

INTRODUCTION
The prehistoric period covers the three
periods of Stone Age (roughly from 14,000-
2,000 BCE) which include:

• Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)

• Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age)

• Neolithic (New Stone Age)

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PREHISTORIC ART

INTRODUCTION
Archeological artifacts reveal magnificent artworks
found in caves such as the Hall of Bulls in Lascaux,
France during Paleolithic Period. Contours of
animal’s body can be seen in the drawings evoking
naturalism. Some say that these kinds of caves
also found in other parts of the world served as a
kind of sanctuary where religious rituals are
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performed (Caslib, 2018).

PREHISTORIC ART

When his dog fell into a crevice on the 12th

of September, 1940, Marcel Ravidat found
the opening to the Lascaux Cave. He later
returned to the site, accompanied by three
friends. They accessed the caves by a
tunnel that ran for around 15 meters which
they thought was the fabled secret entry to
the neighboring Lascaux Manor. The
youngsters realized that the walls of the
caves were filled with animal images. Titles
were given to passageways that reflect
consistency, setting, or simply symbolize a
cavern, such as the Shaft, the Passageway,
and the Great Hall of the Bulls.

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PREHISTORIC ART
PREHISTORIC ART

The cave of Lascaux, France is one of

almost 350 similar sites that are known
to exist — most are isolated to a region
of southern France and northern Spain.
Both Neanderthals (named after the site
in which their bones were first
discovered — the Neander Valley in
Germany) and Modern Humans (early
Homo Sapiens Sapiens) coexisted in this
region 30,000 years ago. Life was short
and very difficult; resources were scarce
and the climate was very cold

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PREHISTORIC ART
PREHISTORIC ART

CHINESE ART
Prehistoric art in China emerged during the period
7500BCE to 2000BCE characterized by a more
settled lifestyle based on farming, rearing of
domesticated animals which led them to create
crafts such as pottery and weaving.
Tray (pan) in the form of a plum blossom with birds and flowers; 1200–
1279; carved lacquer; height: 2.2 cm, diameter: 18.8 cm; Los Angeles
County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, USA)

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PREHISTORIC ART

CHARACTERISTIC THEMES
AND SYMBOLS

In early times Chinese art often served as a means

to submit to the will of heaven through ritual and
sacrifice. Archaic bronze vessels were made for
sacrifices to heaven and to the spirits of clan
ancestors, who were believed to influence the
living for good if the rites were properly and
regularly performed.
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PREHISTORIC ART

CHARACTERISTIC THEMES
AND SYMBOLS

Art also had social and moral functions. The earliest

wall paintings referred to in ancient texts depicted
benevolent emperors, sages, virtuous ministers, loyal
generals, and their evil opposites as examples and
warnings to the living. Portrait painting also had this

Portrait of the Yuan dynasty Emperor Kubilai Khan;

moral function, depicting not the features of the
by Araniko; 1294; colors and ink on silk; 59.4 × 47
cm; National Palace Museum (Taipei, Taiwan)
subject so much as his or her character and role in
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society.
PREHISTORIC ART

“
THE REAL ARTS OF
MERIT IN CHINA WERE
CALLIGRAPHY &
PAINTING.

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PREHISTORIC ART

CHINESE ART: PAINTING

One of the most famous and long-lasting sources of advice on judging art is the six-point list of the
6th century CE art critic and historian Xie He, originally published in his now lost Old Record of the
Classifications of Painters. When considering the merits of a painting the viewer should assess the
following (with point 1 the most important and essential):

1.Spirit Resonance, which means vitality.

2.Bone Method, which means using the brush.
3.Correspondence to the object, which means depicting the forms.
4.Suitability to type, which has to do with laying on of colour.
5.Division and planning, that is, placing and arranging.
6.Transmission by copying, that is, the copying of models. (Tregear,
94)
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PREHISTORIC ART

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A detail of Chinese artist Ma Yuan's "On a Mountain Path in Spring". 1190-1225 CE. Ink and color on silk. (National Museum, Taipei, Taiwan).
PREHISTORIC ART

China, Southern Song Dynasty

Spring Festival on the River (also called Along the River During Qingming Festival), copy of 12th century original by Zhang Zeduan, 18th century copy after
12th century original, National Palace Museum, Taipei

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PREHISTORIC ART

“
THE TWO MOST
POPULAR THEMES OF
CHINESE PAINTING
WERE PORTRAITS &
LANDSCAPES.

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PREHISTORIC ART

CHINESE ART: CALLIGRAPHY

The art of calligraphy - and for the ancient Chinese it

certainly was an art - aimed to demonstrate superior
control and skill using brush and ink. Calligraphy
established itself as one of the major Chinese art
forms during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE),
and for two millennia after, all educated men were
expected to be proficient at it.
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PREHISTORIC ART

"Going Up to Sun Terrace", calligraphy scroll by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, the only surviving example of Li Po's own calligraphy, is now housed at the
Palace Museum in Beijing, China

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PREHISTORIC ART

CHINESE ART: SCULPTURE

Dating to 675 CE the 17.4 metre high figures represent a Buddhist

Heavenly King and demon guardians. Another celebrated example of
Chinese sculpture on a life-size scale are the figures of Shi
Huangti's “Terracotta Army”. Over 7,000 figures of warriors, 600
horses and several chariots were set to guard the tomb of the 3rd-
century BCE Qin emperor

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PREHISTORIC ART

CHINESE ART: SCULPTURE

The Terracotta Army Museum

in Xi'an is a must-see. It is
considered one of the greatest
archaeological sites in the
world, and one of the greatest
22 discoveries of the 20th century.
 PREHISTORIC ART

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PREHISTORIC ART

EGYPTIAN ART
Ancient Egyptian art is the painting, sculpture, and
architecture produced by the civilization in the Nile
Valley from 5000 BCE to 300 CE.

The iconic bust of Nefertiti is part of the Egyptian Museum of Berlin

collection. (1345 BCE)

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PREHISTORIC ART

EGYPTIAN ART
Ancient Egyptian art reached considerable
sophistication in painting and sculpture ,
and was both highly stylized and symbolic.

The iconic bust of Nefertiti is part of the Egyptian Museum of Berlin

collection. (1345 BCE)

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PREHISTORIC ART

EGYPTIAN ART
The Nile River, with its predictable flooding and abundant
natural resources, allowed the ancient Egyptian civilization to
thrive sustainably and culturally. Much of the surviving art
comes from tombs and monuments; hence, the emphasis on
life after death and the preservation of knowledge of the
past. In a narrower sense, Ancient Egyptian art refers to the
The Nile River
second and third dynasty art developed in Egypt from 3000
BCE and used until the third century.
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 EGYPTIAN ART
PREHISTORIC ART

Egyptian prehistoric art can be described as spiritual and

religious. Tombs were erected for the pharaohs which shelter
them as they journey to the afterlife. They decorated the tombs
with the things they use in daily life.
Pharaohs are also given absolute authority and revered as
deities. The pyramids were constructed by workers who
painstakingly moved huge stones and materials ensuring the
excellent quality of the outside and inside of it. (Caslib, 2018).
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Pharaoh – Egyptian king
 PHILIPPINE ART
PREHISTORIC ART

The Philippines is known for its Manunggul jar, a burial jar, found
in Palawan in the New Stone Age dated 895-775 BC.
It represents the artistry and understanding of early Filipinos
about their belief in the journey that a soul travels in the so
called life after death or “kabilang buhay”. The jar’s lid is
designed with two human figures representing two souls on a
voyage to the afterlife (www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph.).
It is listed as a national treasure and designated as item 64-MO-74 by the National Museum of the
Philippines.
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 PHILIPPINE ART
PREHISTORIC ART

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 PHILIPPINE ART: ANGONO
PREHISTORIC ART

PETROGLYPHS
The oldest known works of art form from Philippines prehistory are the
Angono petroglyphs. The Angono petroglyphs are located on the island of
Luzon in Rizal province. A petroglyph is an engraving in a rock face.

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 GREEK ART
PREHISTORIC ART

Prehistoric Greek paintings bear motif of sea and nature during the pre-
Greek period. In the next period Egyptian influence can be seen. Human
characters are expression of divine system.
• Prehistoric sculptures were figures of nude male statues in Daedalic Period.
• In Classical age came sculptures of gods and goddesses. The human body
became the emphasis of art during this period.
• Moving to later Greek period showed figures of human with minimal clothing.
• In architecture, Ancient Greek temples consist of three architectural orders
called the Corinthian, Ionic and Doric Orders (Ariola, 2014).
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 GREEK ART
PREHISTORIC ART

The magnificent temple on the Acropolis of Athens, known as the

Parthenon, was built between 447 and 432 BCE in the Age of Pericles,
and it was dedicated to the city's patron deity Athena Parthenos. The
temple was constructed to house the new colossal statue of the
goddess by Pheidias and to proclaim to the world the success of
Athens as leader of the coalition of Greek forces which had defeated
32 the invading Persian armies of Darius and Xerxes.
 CSU ANDREWS BUILDINGS
PREHISTORIC ART

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 CSU ANDREWS BUILDINGS
PREHISTORIC ART

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 CSU ANDREWS BUILDINGS
PREHISTORIC ART

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 CSU CARIG BUILDINGS
PREHISTORIC ART

The Greek-inspired building decorated

with Corinthian columns and designs
of the College of Arts and Sciences.

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 CSU CARIG GATE
PREHISTORIC ART

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 ROMAN ART
PREHISTORIC ART

“Greece, the captive, took her savage

victor captive,” –Horace

Rome (though it conquered Greece) adapted much of Greece’s cultural and artistic

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 ROMAN ART
PREHISTORIC ART

Roman art is a very broad topic, spanning almost 1,000 years

and three continents, from Europe and Africa and Asia.
The first Roman art can be dated back to 509 B.C.E., with the
legendary founding of the Roman Republic, and lasted until 330
C.E. (or much longer, if you include Byzantine art).
The city of Rome was a melting pot, and the Romans had no qualms about adapting
artistic influences from the other Mediterranean cultures that surrounded and
preceded them. For this reason it is common to see Greek, Etruscan, and Egyptian
influences throughout Roman art.

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ROMAN ART
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PREHISTORIC ART

ROMAN ART